Too much air pressure will cause the tires to wear in the middle. I have an Ultra/Lehman and run 22psi in the rear. When I took the body off to have it painted I helped the paint guy carry it to his shop and he said that it weighed about twice as much as the TG. So more weight and only 22psi and my tires are wearing even.
Auto Tires On Rear of T.G.
- Thread starter Trent
- Start date
I've run mine anywhere from 26 to 18 and will still wear in middle more than outer tread.
- Thread starter
- #33
We got back from San Juan Island trip last night. Gave the new car tires a 2,000 mile work out with Babe on Back and fully loaded luggage. They have 2500 miles on them now.
How did they work in the rain? Out of the 9 days we were riding, it rained on 5 of them. Some days it poured with standing water on the roads,, other days it dribbled. I cannot say enough good things about how happy I am with these tires.
On I-5 south of Seattle, hard rain coming down, running with traffic at 70 mph felt perfectly normal and safe. Did not get the leg squeezes or helmet thumps from behind even once the whole trip, which is unusual.
The curves felt great, wet or dry, and the Babe on Back was very happy with the ride and the sense of stability and control. She said she could tell a huge difference in the curves and turns, and commented several times how much better the ride was over bridge joints and bad roads in general.
Driving around the Islands, Whidbey, Orcas and San Juan, during the rain with a lotta turns and curves and twistys, they were great.
Very very happy with them.
How did they work in the rain? Out of the 9 days we were riding, it rained on 5 of them. Some days it poured with standing water on the roads,, other days it dribbled. I cannot say enough good things about how happy I am with these tires.
On I-5 south of Seattle, hard rain coming down, running with traffic at 70 mph felt perfectly normal and safe. Did not get the leg squeezes or helmet thumps from behind even once the whole trip, which is unusual.
The curves felt great, wet or dry, and the Babe on Back was very happy with the ride and the sense of stability and control. She said she could tell a huge difference in the curves and turns, and commented several times how much better the ride was over bridge joints and bad roads in general.
Driving around the Islands, Whidbey, Orcas and San Juan, during the rain with a lotta turns and curves and twistys, they were great.
Very very happy with them.
Thanks for that report Trent. Sorry you guys had to put up with that much rain, but that is what we get sometimes. Actually sounds like our trip your direction this past June. Sounds like you picked a winner for tires.
Miata.net tire size calculator, will tell you how far off your speedometer is with different sized tires
- Thread starter
- #36
I will report on the new tires as they get more miles on them, if there are any changes.
The rain was a little frustrating. Everyone we talked to on the Islands said it had not rained there the first week of Sept in 20 years. That is why we chose that time frame as it is the best weather in the San Juans the last week in August thru the middle of October. Just our luck! At least it was not cold...never got below 60 degrees,, so it was very tolerable. Oh well, that is the chances we take with a motorcycle.
The rain was a little frustrating. Everyone we talked to on the Islands said it had not rained there the first week of Sept in 20 years. That is why we chose that time frame as it is the best weather in the San Juans the last week in August thru the middle of October. Just our luck! At least it was not cold...never got below 60 degrees,, so it was very tolerable. Oh well, that is the chances we take with a motorcycle.
I was thinking the same thing so I went to both Dunlop Tire sites, car & motorcycle, and according to Dunlop the P205/65R15 Dunlop Signature Tires, like on my '11 TG, are car tires. There was no listing for TG rear tires on the motorcycle site and the ones found on the car site look just like my TG tires.
:wave4:
- Thread starter
- #38
I am sure you are correct about the OEM being auto tires. After trying out a higher quality tire and realizing the differences in ride and handling, I will assume that HD gets a great price buying in bulk from Dunlop for a lower quality tire, saving them thousands of $$$...
As I mentioned earlier, the differences in sidewall stiffness, thickness, and harder rubber composition were very evident when you compare the OEM to just about any other tire, which I feel is the reason for the very obvious functional improvements.
As I mentioned earlier, the differences in sidewall stiffness, thickness, and harder rubber composition were very evident when you compare the OEM to just about any other tire, which I feel is the reason for the very obvious functional improvements.
I think they are car tires , now I have been told the spyer has it's own purpose made tire ?
Back when I was still riding on 2 wheels on my 2011 Ultra Glide I decided to go to the darks side and put a CT on the rear wheel. The tire of choice for the Dark Siders was the Dunlop Sport Signature Tire. This tire proved to be an excellent choice for both straight line, wet road and cornering. I opted to go with a wider profile tire that Dunlop did not offer and that was the Michlin A/S Pilot. It to was an excellent alternative to a MC Rear Tire. I've copied a Tire Review for both the Stock Dunlop Signature Tire that MOCO installs on the Tri Glides and also a Tire Review for the Dunlop Sport Signature Tire. I could not find a Tire Review for the Toyo Eclipse All-Season tires other than that which Trent himself has offered up though personal experience.
I've only got 2,100 miles on my TG but I'm giving serious thought to switching out to the Dunlop Sport Signature Tire only because of the previous testing that was done by the Dark Siders on the Two Wheelers.
Dunlop Signature Grand Touring Tire.
The NT450 is an entry-level ultra-high performance radial designed for all-season performance. The unidirectional tread design performs exceptionally well in wet weather by evacuating water through the slanted grooves and lateral slits. The double center rib provides increased stability on straight-aways, during braking and during accelerating. The The NT450 is ideal for enthusiasts who demand performance and affordability.
Dunlop SP Sport Signature High Performance All-Season tire.
A new all-season performance tire from Dunlop combines the wet-road gripping power of Hydro-Paddles and a new Dry Performance Sector for enhanced cornering on twisting country roads. The new Dunlop SP Sport Signature® performance tire, a cousin to the brand's family-car Signature brand, is "built for the growing numbers of performance drivers who demand all-season traction and enhanced tread life to go with cornering G-forces." Located inboard, the Wet Performance Sector features Dunlop's Hydro-Paddle Technology, a hydrodynamic feature that literally helps pump water through a narrow channel and away from the tire, silica tread compounds that help maintain grip on wet surfaces, and full-depth sipes for enhanced water evacuation. Outboard, the tire's Dry Performance Sector uses a solid shoulder area for enhanced dry handling, straight sipes for a stiff solid contact surface and a solid center rib for enhanced road feedback for stability and driving confidence.
I've only got 2,100 miles on my TG but I'm giving serious thought to switching out to the Dunlop Sport Signature Tire only because of the previous testing that was done by the Dark Siders on the Two Wheelers.
Dunlop Signature Grand Touring Tire.
The NT450 is an entry-level ultra-high performance radial designed for all-season performance. The unidirectional tread design performs exceptionally well in wet weather by evacuating water through the slanted grooves and lateral slits. The double center rib provides increased stability on straight-aways, during braking and during accelerating. The The NT450 is ideal for enthusiasts who demand performance and affordability.
Dunlop SP Sport Signature High Performance All-Season tire.
A new all-season performance tire from Dunlop combines the wet-road gripping power of Hydro-Paddles and a new Dry Performance Sector for enhanced cornering on twisting country roads. The new Dunlop SP Sport Signature® performance tire, a cousin to the brand's family-car Signature brand, is "built for the growing numbers of performance drivers who demand all-season traction and enhanced tread life to go with cornering G-forces." Located inboard, the Wet Performance Sector features Dunlop's Hydro-Paddle Technology, a hydrodynamic feature that literally helps pump water through a narrow channel and away from the tire, silica tread compounds that help maintain grip on wet surfaces, and full-depth sipes for enhanced water evacuation. Outboard, the tire's Dry Performance Sector uses a solid shoulder area for enhanced dry handling, straight sipes for a stiff solid contact surface and a solid center rib for enhanced road feedback for stability and driving confidence.
Yea just had some fun in the rain myself today going thru Indianapolis..But at least we drove thru the storm..My new Goodyears Confort tread tires worked extremely well and made a difference going over all the road hazards thru Indiana..Think I am around 1k on my tires now..
Glad your tires worked well also.
- Thread starter
- #42
Glad yours are too.... Not to beat a dead horse but....I will say just one more time that the differences between the OEM tires and the new ones were extremely for the better way more than I would have ever expected. I was actually startled.
Too much PSI will give you wear in the center.
I agree.. different tires do make a difference..I was extremely relaxed driving the trike.
Middle wear is normally caused from over inflation----i have over 30,000 miles on mine and they still show no visable wear. I run them at 15 lbs two up
- Thread starter
- #46
I cant quite wrap my walnut sized brain around the 15 lbs thing, but it is obviously working for you....do you feel and squishiness or mushy stuff with that low number??
At 15# I sure hope he has rim locks on those tires.
I know--a lot of people have a problem with it but even my tire guy at Discount tire says i am fine because those tires are designed for the weight of an automobile.
handle GREAT in the twisties and the ride is way better for my passenger
- Thread starter
- #50
Ok...You two have convinced me to try a lower air pressure...I will lower mine down to 20 lbs and see how it feels...I suspect that I am not as petite as either one of you guys, so I will try it there and see what happens. Thnx for the info....
Put a new set of Toyo car radials on my TG...Just got back from a 350 mile ride thru the twistys and curves in the Idaho mountains.
Before I bloviate about them, I am curious how many of you have done this also and what are your thoughts, good and bad, about the car tires on the rear instead of the stock Dunlop tires that came on it. And what tires did you use. Fire away!
Just got back from the Golden Aspen Bike rally in Ruidoso New Mexico. We got caught in that rain storm that hit the Baja, was a hurricane. West Coast
Well coming back between Roswell NM and Portales NM the rain was coming down and we were running 55 in a 70 and more than once my rear end came around at more than a 45 degree angle. Scared the hell out of me!
I have 8,000 miles on a NEW 2014 TriGlide and the tires still have the little rubber spikes on the tires!
In the rain, that trike is NO GOOD at highway speed. Could not hang with the 2 wheelers! Afraid of doing a 360 at 55mph in the desert!
If anyone knows of good all season tires let me know, the Dunlop's that Harley puts on the back are JUNK when it come to rain!
How did your tires work out and have you had them in the rain???
It also may have been your inflation pressure, where are you running your tire pressure at? My dad is on his 2nd set of stock Dunlops with no wet weather issues.
Between 22 and 26 pounds of pressure at 1200 ft above sea level.
We were in a good down pour pulling an upgrade and running about 50 to 55 in a 70 mph zone on asphalt in New Mexico.
The bikes had no trouble, just me and another lady riding a 2009 Street Glide trike. and yes you let off the throttle and it pops back into place but it will scare the bee-jeebers out of ya!
Maybe we went through more rain than your dad has gone through. Like the day in January right after a snow here in OKC, I took the trike out and slowly applied the back brake peddle to try to stop at a stop sign and did TWO 360's at about 10mph. Like riding a pair of ice skates!
My dad and I both have been through some pretty stout down pours, when I say stout I mean rain so hard you can hardly see 3 feet in front of you, I don't know why yours did what it did. I've always found the Triglide to be a pretty stable platform on rain covered streets at speeds up to 75 mph. In 2011 we road though several days of pretty heavy rain while heading out west. I had my 2010 Triglide at the time and my dad was on his 09. We set our cruise control between 75 and 80 mph and let the miles go by, never had a problem. I would expect it to do bad things on snow, very cold snow covered asphalt offers little traction for something as lite as the Triglide.
Sounds like you'll have to experiment with rear tires.
I had to replace my rear tires at 30,031 miles due to the center wearing down to the wear bar on the left side tire and a little more tread on the right side tire. Several guys here have all said the left tire wears more than the right on their TG's. Anyone know why that happens? I run my rear tires at 24 psi. Anyway I did some comparing of tires on TireRack.com and Consumer Reports and I went with the Dunlop Signature Sport. It's similar in overal diameter and width of the stock tire but has better handling and performance characteristics than the stock Dunlop Signature. I took my tires off the TG and took them to Quick Lube to have the new tires put on. They knew the tires were going on a trike and had no problem with that. Just three days after having the new tires put on the wife and I went on a trip out to Idaho. I had the tires at 24 psi and was pulling an Aluma trailer. My gas mileage was down around 26 to 27 thru ND out to Billings, MT. The next morning before leaving Billings I pumped the tires up to 28 psi to see how they rode at the higher pressure. Wife said she liked the ride better at the 28 psi and my milage went up a couple mpg. We put 2600 miles on them and I like them.
Dunlop Signatures are the stock tire for a Ford Taurus. ANY comparable tire will work. You can choose sticky performance tires or tires made for hyper mileage. Every tire is load and speed rated. TG air pressure for best ride will most always be lower than the minimum 26 PSI that the Tire & Rim Association publishes and Harley lawyers list in our manual. Glad to see that their are many options for us to choose from. A 15" rim does lessen some of the performance tire choices. I may consider new 16" rear rims to increase my selection of performance tires. I love my Michelin Pilot Sports A/S on my MINI and would like to have them on my trike.
Your road conditions definitly influence tire pressures. Here in PA most of our roads are still littered with patches and cracks from the Winter. When I do get to ride a freshly paved road it is HEAVEN.
Bob
orag:
Your road conditions definitly influence tire pressures. Here in PA most of our roads are still littered with patches and cracks from the Winter. When I do get to ride a freshly paved road it is HEAVEN.
Bob
orag:One thing I forgot to mention was the price difference. HD quoted the price of the tires as $176. each plus I would get the HOG member discount of 10% so tires would be $317 plus tax and then 2 hours labor at $80. an hour for removing the tires from the trike, mounting and balancing the tires and reinstalling. Total would be around $490 complete. Quick Lube was $290. for the tires with mounting and balancing and sales tax. I took the tires off the trike myself, hauled them up to Quick Lube and then brought them back home and reinstalled on the trike. Took a couple hours of my time to jack the trike up, take the tires across town to Quick Lube, get them mounted and then back home and reinstalled. For the $200. savings it as no problem doing that.
2011 Merlot and Black TG
2011 Merlot and Black TG
I have a set of winter wheels/tires (stock) and a set of summer wheels/tires (Anarchy). I switch the rear wheels myself and take the TG to the dealer and they switch the front wheel for $50.
My dealer installs tires free if you buy them from them.
My dealer installs tires free if you buy them from them.
When I still had the tri glide I was running Goodyear Comfort treads. Intstalled the tires myself.. I used the balancing beads with no problems of balance or tread wear..
I ran the stock dunlops thru rain storms on the HWy with no noticeable issues..
I ran the stock dunlops thru rain storms on the HWy with no noticeable issues..
I have absolutely nothing against the stock tires. I've ridden through torrential downpours on highways and in the twisties on the Cherohala Skyway. Not one problem to speak of. I will stick with the Dunlops until I feel I can do better. I also ride in the winter and of now have had no fishtailing or anything out of the ordinary. I couldn't ask for a better tire.
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